Adopted kitten with cold

[newmamaof3]

I adopted a kitten from a kill shelter yesterday. She is just precious but she has a kitty cold (watery eyes and occasional sneeze and damp nose - nothing mucosy or yellow. All clear. She was actually the "healthiest". The rest had yellow green funk oozing from their eyes and nose. But mine had been on quarantine because she was a new intake and the shelter staff said they have to isolate them when they first get there to make sure they are well before exposing them to the other kittens.. So isolate a well kitten to make sure it's well enough to put with the other extremely sick kittens...seems backwards (soapbox, sorry). Anyway I thought I have to get this girl out of here before they make her sick!! So I have another new kitty! I've started her on l lysine as her vet says it is viral. and she is isolated from my other 4. (Yes that's riht I have 5 new kittens all in a month). [emoji]128525[/emoji][emoji]128525[/emoji][emoji]128525[/emoji]. So the vet days keep her isolated from the others over the weekend then okay to put he in the general population. I trust my vet but would like others thoughts on this. Also anyone have experience with vitamin c for kittens? And finally...here they are

image.jpg

• newmamaof3
• Jul 17, 2015

 

[newmamaof3]

image.jpg

• newmamaof3
• Jul 17, 2015

 

[catpack]

Yes, your new kitten very likely has Feline Herpes, which is viral. Once they have it, they always will, though for some kitties it stays in remission, others it's a lifelong thing. Stress often causes flare-ups to varying degrees.

It is contagious, though many, if not most, cats from a shelter environment have been exposed.

Have any of your other kittens experienced similar symptoms?

Lysine is a good supplement to use for herpes. It would certainly be safe to use for ALL your kittens. Famcyclovir is an antiviral medication that can also be used to treat FHV, and Veraflox is a fairly new antibiotic made specifically to treat secondary bacterial infections associated with FHV. I have used Veraflox paired with Polyprenyl Immunostimulant to treat our most serious cases of FHV with excellent success.

With all that said, I would wait until the newbie is no longer sneezing or has watery eyes before integrating her.

 

[newmamaof3]

The other kittens haven't had any upper respiratory symptoms. Unfortunately 2 of the other ones that have been with is for about 3 weeks have developed very watery diarrhea that is mostly clear also with clear vomiting. One of these two also has bulging third eyelids. So I spoke with their vet. He gave me pro pectalin and told me to watch then over the weekend making sure they are drinking. So now they are isolated. So we have 2 that are quite well (although until yesterday all 4 were). The vomiting and waterline diarrhea started in just one kitty and a second one started up this evening. The fifth kitty who had the uri is doing very well, though still in isolation on the opposite side of the house. So we have 2 in isolation with the throw ups and one in isolation with uri. The other two are good. I don't understand the rapid onset of the watery clear diarrhea and vomitiand in these two. Their stools are very light as well. There are no chemicals or anything that they could have gotten into in their room. They are all on dewormer. The one with the uri also had tapeworms. They all received revolution and capstar this week as well so I didn't know if that could be upsetting their systems. Any help is appreciated.

 

[catpack]

How frequent is the vomiting and diarrhea with the 2 other kittens? How old are these two? When did these 2 come into the home? Are they from the same shelter you got the most recent from?

catwoman707 what are your thoughts on the 2 kittens with diarrhea?

 

[catwoman707]

How frequent is the vomiting and diarrhea with the 2 other kittens? How old are these two? When did these 2 come into the home? Are they from the same shelter you got the most recent from?

@catwoman707 what are your thoughts on the 2 kittens with diarrhea?

Am I correct in thinking you asked me because you are suspicious as I am?.....

Please give me some details, we are talking about only the vomiting kittens.

Age, exactly how long have you had them, where they came from, how long has the vomiting been going on in the first one, what are you feeding them and for how long have you been feeding this to them, if they have been given any vaccines and when.

I am happy to help you.

The reason shelters isolate new intakes is for parvo and panleukopenia mostly.

URI's are almost a given, and are not deadly, whereas the parvo and panleuk are.

 

[catpack]

Am I correct in thinking you asked me because you are suspicious as I am?.....

Yes, this is exactly why. Timing of events is concerning.

 

[stephenq]

 

As long as the new kitten has cold symptoms (and possibly even after) she can make your other cats sick So i wouldn't introduce them at least for a few days past the point where there were zero symptoms.

 

[newmamaof3]

The two sick kittens are from the same shelter but they were fosters.
Lily is 10 wks. We've had her almost a month. Vomiting and diarrhea started yesterday. Till then she was completely normal. Up to date on vaccines. Been wormed twice now. Had revolution last week. Been to our vet and was fine till yesterday.

Layla is 13 weeks. We've had her 2 weeks. She was a foster as well with her two litter mates. Also utd on shots and had revolution last week. Her vomiting started Friday night but she has since quit vomiting. Stool has a little more consistency now but is still an odd color.

And no- the newest addition is well and still isolated and from a different shelter. She is doing great! Uri is resolved. Eating and playing.

We have isolated the 2 with stomach issues on ones side of the house and the newest on the other.
We also have 2 others that are totally fine ages 6 and 11 weeks. Strays.

All five are up to date on shots, revolution, fiv felv neg. we did try a new food flash Friday - soulstice - which has sunflower oil in it. This is the only different ingredient and the two sick kittens foassed that food almost completely u digested before the diarrhea and vomiting started. I read the sunflower oil can be inflammatory. Wondering if this was the culprit.

 

[newmamaof3]

I'm sorry...I meant to say that the two vomiting kittens passed the food almost undigested. The older one is no longer vomiting. The most recent adoptee is very well (except tapeworm). She has not been integrated. She is 14 weeks. This is the one that was "in isolation" at her shelter but she has more spunk than ever!

 

[catwoman707]

@CatPack  and I had the same thoughts, that it may possibly have been panleuk. 

But if there was a food change it may explain the onset of vomiting and diarrhea.

Are you familiar with panleukopenia? I hope so. Pulling from the shelter is a much higher risk of panleuk, and can/will wipe out an entire group/home/shelter of kittens and even some adult cats.

The vomiting starts out as food, then over time turns into more bile/liquid.

The diarrhea is a light color and has a slightly odd smell to it.

Kittens will act lethargic and eventually stop eating.

If you are not completely educated on panleuk, please spare yourself from finding out the hard way, as it is literally devastating.

Hoping it is simply the food change.

Let us know!

 

[newmamaof3]

I have done a lot of research on the panleuk ant I'm just not sure this is what's going on. I called the emergency by and spoke with him and described their symptoms. He didn't seem to think it was panleuk either. I see that there is a 2-10 day incubation period so we likely will keep our well kitties all separated for at least a couple weeks. And if it is panleuk i guess I'll be bleaching everything and cleaning with bleach solution on my carpets. Since all the kitties have he their first booster I assume they would have some antibodies. The on call vet seemed to think coccidia. Our first kitten had that and was cleared. We have been meticulous about cleanup. I even added ammonia to my laundry water since that's the only thing that kills coccidia.

 

[newmamaof3]

Emergency vet says wait till morning then go to our regular vet unless we have a dramatic turn.

 

[newmamaof3]

Well we are throwing up green bike now. So we are at the ER. Double checking for felv fiv and panleukopenia....prayers for the kitties please.

 

[newmamaof3]

Just left the ER vet. Diagnosis coccidia. No fevers felv fiv negative and not panleukopenia thank goodness!

 

[maureen brad]

Congratulations on your new kitty. You did a good thing.I adopted my Desmond at a kill shelter and he had a URI at that time, also pink eye. Of course I treated the eye and also started him on Lysine. I found down the line that when I took him off the Lysine he once again had a cold. He has FHV. I buy NOW brand Lysine from Amazon I get 1 lbs for around $12 it lasts forever and my vet said giving it to him every day is just fine. He is rarely sick but when the sniffles do begin I up the Lysine and also give him 4Life Transfactor complete. It is a powder and you keep it in the fridge. I just give it to him for a few days mixed in wet food and that along with Lysine always knocks the cold out. I get that on Amazon as well.

 

[newmamaof3]

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely have to look into the 4lLife. She's doing great! No more uri and playful as ever! She's lovibg her new playmates. Unfortunately I still have 2 kitties in quarantine with raging coccidia. I asked my vet about Ponazuril but he was unfamiliar with it. I've called every vet I know of in this area and none are willing to prescribe it so it looks like at least 10 days of albon and probably a month of quarantine for those two. Poor babies. One had to get an IV this morning. She lets me dropper feed her but she just can't keep anything down or in. She's lost a pound in less than 48 hours and that's with me getting up every hour all night long and throughout the day to provide her with nourishment. She's having a really tough time. The other one is doing a little better. Starting to lap up food on her own again. All my poor babies have to take the albon now as a proactive measure but the three that are out in the main part of the house are doing great!. I've thrown out so many towels and litter pans and blankets. It's just safer than risking re infection. Ammonia is my new best friend. We have a little kitty hospital set up on the far side of our house with all their medications and separate food and water supply. They have their own little pens and litter pans. Poor babies. Praying we can bring them back. Fearing our littlest is fading fast. the sick babies were shelter rescues from the same shelter but a different one than our other babies. So we have one stray rescue, a boy from one shelter, a girl from another shelter, and two more girls (the sick ones) from a third shelter. Hoping our efforts are not in vain. These 2 didn't appear sick at first but within a week of having them they were. They didn't let us know anything was wrong till they were so sick they couldn't hide it.

 

[sdtallas]

Sounds like your kitty has "kennel cough". My second kitten had it. They sneeze and very watery eyes, very contagious but not deadly. Just take kitty to vet and get medicine for your other kitties.

 

[newmamaof3]

Our kitty that had the cold is doing great! She is well and has made buddies with our stray baby which was the first. As for our boy rescue and the two girls from the shelter, unfortunately we lost our little Lily. She had coccidia and it ravaged her little body. She went from normal to organ failure and internal bleeding within 48 hours. We had her medeciated for the cocidIa gave her fluids, supplements, antibiotics, I was feeding her every hour just to keep her hydrated but she was so damaged on the inside. She lost a lb in less than 2 days and was suffering so much we had no choice but to end it for her. The vet tried everything and so did we. Then our other rescue girl and our boy got coccidia bad. Because of the timing we know they came to us already infected. The little girl has recovered and is going to be out of quarentine tomorrow. The little boy is still fighting but has a long way to go. He is eating though so that's a good sign. He hates being in quarentine. We have a kitty infirmary in out laundry room and I have enough medication for these babies to start my own practice. So thankful for our vet who has been more than helpful.

 

[madamenordica]

They are precious! Thank you for sharing! You made my night so much better in one fell swoop!